1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved compacter and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved compacter wherein the object to be compacted is twisted during the compacting thereof.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, various container flattening or compacting devices have been constructed for flattening metal cans or the like, such as a soft drink or a beer can, for example. One such device was shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,638,957, issued to Danielson, which disclosed a hand-operated can crusher for crushing cans such as oil cans, for example. The can crusher disclosed in the Danielson patent included a pair of plates and an angle member was formed on each of the plates, the angle members initially engaging the can and enhancing the crushing action as the plates were moved toward each other flattening the can therebetween.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,160, issued to Wilson, disclosed a can flattening device having two plates hinged together for flattening a can-like member therebetween. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,439, issued to Tezuka, disclosed a hydraulically operated metal compressor having an upper element which was rotated during one aspect of the crushing operation, the rotation of the element moving certain protrusions to different positions for engaging selected portions of the metal during the crushing stroke of the metal compressor.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,167, disclosed a motor-operated can crusher, and the U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,804, issued to Moller, disclosed a can compacter wherein portions of the can near the top and the bottom were initially depressed by plungers and one plate was subsequently moved toward the other effecting the crushing action.
Other can flattening or crushing devices were disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,905,079, issued to Brock; 3,011,429, issued to Kuslich; 3,043,212, issued to Hasselquist; 3,299,802, issued to Black; 3,411,722, issued to Webber; and 3,667,386, issued to Workman.